This week’s guide is by CF Smith and contributors Imran Mirza and Irfan Ayaan.
Our latest edition of Between The Cracks, is brimming with must-hear music. As the first month of 2025 wraps up, some great discoveries this week, with a lot of exciting new albums gracing our ears. We’re also still glancing back, marvelling at what last year had to offer. So, without further ado, here’s our latest picks! As always, enjoy the music, and support artists and labels.
Albums
Javier Rojo – Música Para Amansar Fieras
Music – like most art – can very much serve as a monument to a time and place synonymous with its maker; a bridge of sorts to various facets of us as individuals but also as a way to connect with the hearts and minds of those around us. And it’s a connection to those we hold dear, those who have nurtured, inspired, supported, loved… or even hurt us, but connections that ultimately tell invaluable stories of the paths we all walk and the legacy we leave behind. The release of Javier Rojo’s ‘Música Para Amansar Fieras’ seems to finds its grounding within these very ideals. ‘Música Para Amansar Fieras’ is the musical embodiment of wearing one’s heart on their sleeve. At the hands of Javier Rojo, the album delivers as a wonderful introduction to an impassioned artist who has already mastered the art of steeping his music within his own truth and creating with honest and conviction. – IM
Prepared – Module
Module by Prepared is a hypnotic journey into minimalist jazz, where cyclical motifs and layered patterns create a trance-like soundscape. This Munich-based trio, comprised of piano, bass clarinet, and drums, defies conventional genre boundaries with their unique chamber music approach. The album’s sound is a captivating blend of Steve Reich’s repetitive structures, Jonny Greenwood’s avant-garde sensibilities, and the rhythmic intricacy of Nik Bärtsch. Prepared’s compositions are minimalist and virtuosic, awakening primal dance impulses while guiding listeners through an immersive sonic experience. Standout tracks like Modul Zwei II and Modul Vier III showcase the trio’s ability to build intricate, evolving soundscapes. The former gradually layers pulsating rhythms and haunting clarinet lines, while the latter demonstrates their mastery of tension and release over its six-minute runtime. Recorded live in one room without overdubs, Module boasts an impressive 3D sound design mixed for Dolby Atmos. This innovative approach to production enhances the album’s already mesmerising qualities, creating an atmospheric, hypnotic and expressive piece of work.– IA
Waldo’s Gift – Malcolm’s Law
Waldo’s Gift’s debut album, Malcolm’s Law, explodes onto the scene, capturing the raw energy of their legendary Bristol residency. This experimental trio has quickly become a force in the UK’s avant-garde music landscape, blending jazz improvisation with prog-metal intensity and math-rock complexity. The album’s nine tracks, recorded live without overdubs, showcase the band’s virtuosic musicianship and ability to push themselves to the absolute limit. Standout opener Candifloss sets the tone with its brash, technicolour soundscape, while the title track, Malcolm’s Law, further cements the band’s reputation for creating impossibly intricate yet cohesive compositions. While rooted in jazz, Waldo’s Gift draws inspiration from diverse sources, evoking comparisons to electronic pioneers like Squarepusher and Aphex Twin. The album’s unrelenting energy and complexity testify to the band’s weekly residency at The Gallimaufry, where they honed their improvisational skills and built a devoted following. It’s a thrilling debut that firmly establishes the trio as innovators in the ever-evolving landscape of experimental music. – IA
Emily Mikesell & Kate Campbell Strauss – Give Way
In Give Way, New Orleans musicians Kate Campbell Strauss and Emily Mikesell weave a tapestry of sound as intricate as it is intimate. This debut collaboration, born during the pandemic, showcases the duo’s remarkable synergy and innovative spirit. Strauss, a versatile saxophonist and arranger, and Mikesell, a talented trumpeter and composer, blend their distinct voices into a cohesive whole. Their unique compositional process, rooted in mutual trust and spontaneity, yields six tracks that defy easy categorisation, landing somewhere between big band and contemporary classical. The album’s soundscape is rich and cinematic, evoking comparisons to Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain and Philip Glass’s contemplative works. Standout track Cloud Castles captures the duo’s first meaningful musical encounter, setting the tone for the five musical marvels yet to come. – IA
Pascal & Baya Rays – Sonic Joy
Although we’re five weeks into 2025, we’re still sifting through 2024’s album releases. One album we happily stumbled upon was Sonic Joy by Pascal & Baya Rays. The quintet crafted spontaneous compositions without a clue about the music they’d produce or the direction of the session. Remarkably, the resulting two-track project is wonderfully coherent. Loose-limbed, elongated jazz, electronics, funk, and dub work-outs are the order of the day. What a treat for the ears this is. Try it and enjoy! – CFS
Jay Glass Dubs – Resurgence
We have another gem from last year that nearly slipped under our radar. Athen’s Jay Glass Dubs consistently excites us, as each new release offers something fresh while maintaining his unique signature style. The Greek producer has been turning heads for a while with his distinctive approach to the dub, and this six-track LP showcases his evolving artistry. The album’s sound is a mesmerising blend of abstract dub formations, creating a desert-like sonic landscape. Deep reverb and ghostly delays permeate the tracks, while crystalline sounds add a prismatic granularity to the mix. The overall effect is one of soothing enchantment and introspective purity. Standout tracks include Hyperacousis (for Miles), which opens the album with a blissful, dark shade of dub, and Swint, the epic 8-minute closer, fully immerses listeners in Glass Dubs’ unique sonic world. Throughout, the hypnotic repercussions maintain a mood of forbearance and inner poise. This album offers a cleansing, therapeutic journey for those seeking a spiritual expedition through sound that promises meditative deliverance. – IA
